Which came first, a hen or an egg?

This has been one of the most asked question, I guess. We all must have encountered this question sometime in our lives. Well, we still just make wild guesses while answering this question. I surrender, I don’t know the answer, many of us don’t know. If there is anyone who knows then you are cordially invited to answer on this platform. By the way, one question gives rise to another questions, which brings one more question and in this way a series of questions are formed, right? I found some ‘eggie’ questions which are wrongly thought, watched and presented by some people, especially Indian vegetarians. So, I thought this a topic which should be discussed. And when I am saying egg, I only mean a hen’s egg. Okay, so let’s peek into the egg’s shell and try to find out the answers into yolk and albumen (Vegetarians are requested not to vomit after reading this sentence)

What is a Hen’s Egg made up of?

Firstly, a hen’s egg is similar in look and purpose, to the eggs of all other creatures on Earth. I guess, it’s not a big deal then. It’s outer shell which is a protective shield is almost entirely made up of Calcium Carbonate crystals (चूना). It’s a semipermeable membrane to allow air and moisture to pass through it. Then comes the Albumen or Egg white which contains almost 40 different proteins along with water. Beneath Albumen is Yolk, which looks more solid as it contains very less water and mostly protein. Other than protein it is also a pool of vitamins, minerals and little fat. Through yolk, you may get vitamin A- vitamin D, minerals like iron- phosphorus- calcium, proteins like thiamine- riboflavin and emulsifier like lecithin. By now, you know that egg is almost a complete food. It has all the nutrients required for our body.
Differently colored eggs just mean that they belong to different type of hens. They both have same nutritional values.

When does egg laid?

Now a days, the Hen’s used to lay eggs are mostly hybridized, which means they are customized genetically to produce more no. of eggs than usual. Sometimes the way they are bred also determines the production. Generally, a hen lay maximum on egg in a day and will have some days when it does not lay an egg at all. It is because, after an egg is laid, again, hen’s body start preparing for the formation of another egg within short interval of time. So, we may say, on an average, 7-8 eggs per 10 days are laid by a normal brooding hen.

Does chicken come out with every egg?

Hen’s are capable of laying eggs both the fertilized and unfertilized eggs. Which means a rooster isn’t required to lay an egg. The eggs that are supplied in supermarkets and shops are mostly supplied from farming factories, which just rely on the principal of maximum production of eggs that are ready to eat type. These eggs that you purchase from market are most of the time supplied by factories, that are cheap that’s why. In very extreme cases, in cities and towns, you get eggs supplied from private farms, the possibility of fertilization exists here. But even if the egg is fertilized, it still takes at least 3 days for a cell to form an embryo and 21 days for a chicken to hatch. And for all this to happen a warm temperature and right incubation conditions, which are definitely not provided to the eggs that are meant for eating purpose. To halt the cell division processes the eggs are kept in chilled environment as soon as the egg is laid. So, you see, in either situation you won’t ever end up with an egg chicken tweeting out of it. All you have is a protein and other nutrition served in a plate.
Like many other living creatures on Earth, Hen’s do produce eggs to reproduce. But every egg isn’t the result of fertilization and hence doesn’t end up with a chicken.

If we keep the egg (we brought for eating) as it is then will a chicken hatch from it after few days?

No, never. From above explanation you must have understood that the egg that you brought from market will remain as it is even if you won’t eat it unless you kept it refrigerated. If stored properly the eggs can last for surprisingly very long time. The eggs degrade because of the penetration of bacteria through the egg shell. In refrigerated condition the eggs remain okay because bacteria require warm temperature for their growth. As you must have seen curd forms out of milk only if warm temperature is provided, which in turn helps in growth of bacteria lactobacillus that produce lactic acid from lactose, which denatures the milk protein, this coagulated form of milk is what we call curd. What I mean is that, refrigeration protects egg from getting degraded by bacteria and hence, life of egg is enhanced.

Have you ever seen a little red spot of blood in egg, what’s that?

Don’t worry, it’s not the chicken’s blood and it can’t be. Think over it, the animal which isn’t present anywhere in the egg, which has no existence, which isn’t visible even through microscope, which isn’t even one hour older, how can it have a so visible blood spot. Our blood flows inside our body, isn’t it? If our blood is visible to someone then for sure our body is also visible to him. Our blood just doesn’t roam leaving our body, right? Now the question is then what is that spot? These tiny blood spots are just the minute blood that appears due to the small rupture of blood vessel during the formation of egg. These are perfectly safe to be eaten and can even be removed if desired.

Why eggs should be eaten?

It gives you a feeling of being full- bellied.
Protein, fats, vitamins and minerals keep your energy packed all day long.
Eggs help in muscle building.
The vitamins present in it boosts up the Immune system.
Eggs keep your eyesight healthy and protect from old age cataract. Anti-oxidants present in egg are responsible for this action.
It gives a healthy glowing skin and hair. As it prevents breakdown of body tissues.
Egg is very good memory booster. These are scientifically proven to assist weight loss. It doesn’t add cholesterol to you as well.
These are great and best sources of nutrients, especially proteins.
In comparison to many protein- based powders, supplements, capsules, pulses, milk, vegetables and fruits, it is way too cheaper in cost.

Are you a vegetarian?

Eggs are considered to be a non-vegetarian food, we find no support in this regard. Vegetarians hate even speaking about egg, they think it is a non-vegetarian thing which contains chicken and that’s why shouldn’t be eaten. If you have read the above article, you yourself have understood that there is nothing like non-veg into it. You aren’t eating an animal, you are eating an animal’s nutrition. If you find egg a bad thing then you should also quit cow’s milk and all milk products. Egg for sale doesn’t contain flesh at all. If you eat egg, then you aren’t killing the hen, right? The egg white which eaten consist of only protein and water.

Eggs that you eat are unfertilized, from where the chicken will pop out?

Now, tell me how an egg is a non-veg food? It’s just a food full of nutrition. If chicken was there then it would have taken this nutrition to grow. Since, no one is there to eat, that’s why human take that nutrition and enjoy all of the benefits.

Why vegetarians can’t eat eggs?

There is no logic in this that why vegetarians can’t eat it. Just because someone has called it a non-veg. thing that’s why you aren’t eating it then I find no sense in it. Then you should also quit brinjal because it is called Eggplant. If, however, you guarantee to be a 110% vegetarian (which you aren’t, don’t keep yourself in illusion) then I would suggest you may discard the yolk part which do possess gamete cells. But guys again, these are just cells and not animals.

What is your opinion?

Now, i would like to end up this most untouched question. People don’t like to talk on the logics and that’s why they even don’t give place to eggs in their food. It is okay if you have reasons to explain for your refusal but if you don’t have reasons then at least don’t hate others who eat.
By writing this article, I don’t mean to target anyone and insisting anyone to eat egg. It is your choice. What I mean is whether you eat or not, doesn’t matter at all to anyone, what matters is the wrong information that you pass without thinking over it for once. One more thing I suggest you, if you can’t eat egg then strictly you shouldn’t eat chocolate (some contains rennet), cheese(rennet), sugar (bone char polished), dyed foods (dye extracted from certain species of insects), packed orange juices (extra vit-D taken from lanolin), doughnut (very much non-veg food) and chewing gums (gelatin) etc. You should also quit onion, carrot, potato, radish, garlic, ginger, turnip, beetroot, sweet potato and all those things that grow underground because while growing these shelter many small living organisms. Rather I say, in that case, one should stop eating pulses, cereals, vegetables, fruits and everything because everything that you eat is entered in your body along with visible and non-visible living organisms.
By the way, by consuming egg you don’t kill hen or a chick, but still if you think that this is killing an animal, then don’t forget that you do many such things which is actually killing animals on this earth. You aren’t as big environmentalist as you think, so, stop pretending like careful person. You are destroying environment in lot many ways by your own deeds, first of all, rectify them. There are many direct and unlimited indirect ways by which daily innocent animals are being killed and slaughtered.
At the end, I would say, egg is a nutritious food and it should be ingested. If you start eating eggs then also you won’t be called non-vegetarians, now you will be called an ‘Eggetarian ’who eats all vegetarian stuffs plus eggs. It’s cool, know!
Egg is all the way good. But, if you don’t like it, it’s okay, I too don’t like eating karela (bitter gourd). When I don’t eat karela I just say I don’t like it rather than saying that it shouldn’t be eaten because it is actually crocodile’s skin. It is hilarious. Sometimes doctors suggest to eat eggs to gain strength fast, if some day you or your family member is asked to do that, then at least, in that period don’t deny from taking this just because you find it fleshy, it is not, you know this now. Like milk is a cow product similarly egg is a hen product. It will keep on releasing periodically by hen whether you take it or not. By eating egg, you aren’t killing any present or future chicken. It is more healthy than your cokes and pizzas, more vegetarian than your sugar and more nutritious than your vegetables. I hope this article will help many people to understand the truth of egg.

Thank you and Have a Nice Day.

Author's Bio: 

I belong to one of the most colourful country, India. I am basically a chemist and pursuing Ph.D. from India itself. I have been awarded with the national level certificates like GATE and CSIR NET-JRF along with fellowship. I have also worked with few of the greatest scientists in India's reputed government organisation that is DRDO. I love teaching chemistry and also a passionate content writer and blogger. I write contents, blogs, articles, pages, scripts, essays, advertisements, powerpoint presentations, voice over, dialogues, quotes and conversations. I am also an editor, proofreader researcher and Traveler. I have also done several data entry jobs. I love writing and passionate about exploring new dimensions of each task I pick.

Thank you and Have a Nice Day.